Juneteenth Festival on Germantown Avenue in Philadelphia shines light on music, history, healing

The sounds of drums, spoken word performances and celebration filled Germantown Avenue on Saturday for the 20th annual Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival.

Held along the 6300 block of Germantown Avenue outside the Johnson House Historic Site, the free event commemorated Juneteenth with live music, vendors, food, children's activities and community engagement.

For many attendees, the celebration was also an opportunity to reflect on the history behind the holiday.

"Everything that we have struggled through as a race and as a people, and see how far we've come," said Denise Lewis, who brought her great-grandson.

That reflection carried special meaning at the Johnson House, one of the nation's Underground Railroad sites.

"It was a home for escaping enslaved Africans," said Cornelia Swinson, executive director of the Johnson House Historic Site. "And the Johnsons were abolitionists."

Today, Swinson said, the annual festival serves a dual purpose: honoring the past while creating opportunities for the future.

"To give young people, Black and brown people who are small businesses, to make some money, to engage with the community," Swinson said.

Dozens of vendors lined the festival route, including author Jonathan Marshall, who writes children's books featuring Black fathers and families.

"A lot of the times, when it comes to Black creators, we get stifled," Marshall said. "A lot of the times, we feel like we can't get support unless we go outside of ourselves, but the reality is, this is a reminder that we can utilize each other for creativity."

For Delores Robinson, owner of Aunt Dee's Pound Cakes, participating in the festival was also a way to honor her own family history.

"It helps me to reflect on my ancestors," Robinson said. "My grandmother was a baker, a caterer, and so I'm just trying to carry on that legacy."

Throughout the day, families explored vendor booths to celebrate and experience Black culture, heritage and ancestry. CBS Philadelphia, a festival sponsor, also hosted a booth where station staff and on-air talent met attendees and handed out stickers.

The festival also highlighted wellness and community healing. At the Sankofa Healing Studio booth, children created calming jars filled with beads and glitter while making bracelets with family members and friends.

"Very mindful and intentional activities to kind of slow you down and allow you to be more present," said Hakneil Hirston, a clinical coordinator and staff therapist with the organization.

Marshall said that message of connection and reflection is one reason events like Juneteenth continue to resonate.

"We get so busy and caught up in life," he said. "So this one day is a cool moment just to slow us down for a moment, get us all together and say, 'Hey, remember why we are here.'"